Fewer physicians taking new Medicare patients

AORN Journal,  Oct, 2002  

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Nearly 22% percent of family physicians surveyed report that they can no longer accept new patients who receive Medicare, according to a July 24, 2002, news release from the American Academy of Family Physicians. The annual survey conducted in June 2002 includes data from 1,664 randomly selected academy members active in patient care. In last year's survey, 17% of physicians reported they no longer were accepting patients who receive Medicare.

According to the physicians surveyed, recent reductions in reimbursements have resulted in Medicare payments that do not cover the cost of health care services for older adults. The formula used to calculate the Medicare physician fee schedule resulted in a 5.4% reduction in reimbursement payments to physicians and other health care providers in January 2002, according to the release.

Number of Physicians Turning Away New Medicare Patients Jumps 28 Percent (news release, Washington, DC: American Academy of Family Physicians, July 24, 2002) htlp.//www.aafp.org/sorvlet/xmlPress?press_id=850 (accessed 23 Aug 2002).

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